Following on from the outcome of the EU referendum, a number of constituents have contacted me concerned about a rise in xenophobic and race related hate crimes. Whilst I understand and equally respect the strength of feelings on both sides of the EU debate, I unequivocally condemn any such attack. Hate crimes must not be tolerated and I take allegations of this nature extremely seriously.
I therefore welcome the creation of the 'Hate Crime Fund' recently announced by the Prime Minister, along with a set of new guidelines to prosecutors from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in better tackling hate crime in our communities.
I would urge anyone who has been a victim of or a witness to racial, religious or other forms of hate crime to report this to the police immediately on 999 for emergency cases or 101 for non-emergency. Further information about identifying hate crime and what to do if you experience it can be found on Hampshire Constabulary's website here.
